


Once More

by LeedlingwithRageHappy



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter/Funhaus RPF
Genre: Ambiguous/Open Ending, Angst, M/M, One Shot, Post-Break Up, joelay - Freeform, practice writing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-09
Updated: 2016-02-09
Packaged: 2018-05-19 06:46:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,393
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5957614
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LeedlingwithRageHappy/pseuds/LeedlingwithRageHappy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ray can't give up on Joel just yet</p>
            </blockquote>





	Once More

Ray sighed as he looked at the chaos scattered around him. In all honesty, he wasn’t sure why he was standing in the middle of Joel’s mess of an apartment. Scratch that. He knew exactly why.

At 2:04 in the morning, Ray had been woken from his sleep with a text on his phone that simply said, _I need you_ and not 15 minutes later, he had barged his way into Joel’s place with the help of the spare key that had ended up on his lanyard one strange night ago. 

He cautiously made his way over the obstacles that he assumed was Joel’s own doing and finally stumbled across the man, face down on the couch.

“Joel?” Ray spoke softly, setting a hand on the man’s shoulder.

To Ray’s relief, a grumble came from Joel and he clumsily turned himself over to face Ray. The younger man couldn’t help but notice a phone clutched in Joel’s hand while he waited for the man to open his eyes.

“You’re here,” Joel slurred out while reaching towards Ray.

“Yeah, I’m here, Joel,” Ray reassured, choosing to duck under the older man’s arm in attempt to help the man off the couch with all his strength.

Ray was thankful that Joel wasn’t putting up a fuss and in fact, seemed to be doing his part in helping Ray. Once Joel was on his feet, Ray secured the man’s arm across his own shoulders to began guiding him to the bedroom.

“I’m sorry for calling so late,” Joel began, struggling to keep himself awake. 

Ray held himself back from grimacing as he smelt nothing but alcohol on Joel’s breath and shook his head. “It’s fine. We said we’d always be there for each other.”

“Yeah, but...we’re not together anymore, are we? So those words ‘ve changed. Or they should’ve at least.”

Joel’s comment stung Ray, causing the guilt he had put away so long ago to come back full force. 

It was unfortunately true, however. Ever since Ray had ended the relationship, he told himself he’d only help Joel if necessary, but still found himself in a pattern. Every weekend, Joel would get drunk and every night, Ray would be there to help the man not drink himself to death. 

Ray was relieved when they finally reached the bed and he laid Joel down before going back to his thoughts. He had wanted out of their relationship because as much as he loved Joel, the little things began to stack up until Ray couldn’t take it anymore. Ray thought they had ended on okay terms, but seeing Joel now made him wonder if anything could’ve been different.

Joel was on his side, his back to Ray as the younger man sat on the other side of the bed. As he watched Joel’s body move with his breathing, sadness filled his mind when he remembered what used to be. Without thinking, Ray reached over and ran a hand down Joel’s back before slowly drawing his hand back. He faced the wall, swallowing down all the negative emotions that were eating away at his mind. 

“ ‘m happy you’re here,” Joel sighed out, rolling towards Ray. 

Looking over his shoulder, Ray softly smiled but saw Joel’s eyes closed and guessed the man was finally falling asleep. He noticed Joel’s phone still in his hands and gently tugged it away to put it on the nightstand until his fingers laid on top of the home button. Biting his lip, Ray wanted desperately to push it, though he wasn’t entirely sure what he would get out of doing such a thing. Before he could stop himself, Ray pressed down and immediately felt the breath leave his body.

Joel’s lockscreen picture was still of the two of them, both with wide smiles from the last night at RTX, the same night that also happened to be when they first started dating.

Holding back his tears, Ray quickly put the phone in its place and buried his face in his hands.

“God, Joel. Why can’t you let us go?” He whispered to himself.

“Why can’t you?”

Ray whipped around and saw Joel staring at him, hurt visible in his eyes. 

“I-I don’t understand,” Ray choked out while tears slowly began to stream down his face. Seeing Joel’s face broke Ray’s heart again and he couldn’t stop the onslaught of emotions.

“You keep taking coming over to take care of me and we stopped dating over half a year ago. Why aren’t you fed up by now?” Joel sounded much sober compared to when Ray first arrived, making the younger man even more confused.

“Well, why shouldn’t I take care of you? I’m the only one you call and I don’t want you hurting yourself,” Ray bit back defensively as he wiped away his tears. “And I’m not fed up because...I love you.”

“But not enough to stay with me.”

Ray gritted his teeth, his tears turning to anger before he let all loose. “Really? You’re going to question that now? Do you realize how much I sacrificed for you? How patient I was with you? It was obvious you weren’t going to change, especially not for me. I just couldn’t handle it anymore, Joel. You know that. We talked about this.”

Joel went quiet while Ray just shook his head, tired from bringing up past memories. 

“I have to go home now. I’ll leave a glass of water on your stand. Make sure you drink it.”

Ray shot up off the bed and walked out to the kitchen, surveying everything he passed. It seemed as if Joel had gotten worse since the break-up what with his piles of unwashed clothing mixed with pictures strewn about. Ray started to wonder if Joel would ever be able to come back to his normal self as he grabbed a glass from the cupboard.

Sighing, Ray filled it up quickly and headed back to the bedroom, setting the cup gently on the stand.

“Night, Joel,” he said automatically. Then a hand grabbed his wrist and Ray froze.

“I’m sorry,” Joel looked up at him. “I’m sorry I fucked up. I miss you so much, you were the best thing that happened to me.”

Ray couldn’t help purse his lips in an attempt to keep his emotions down as Joel continued on.

“I’ll change, I will. I’ll fix myself up and I’ll prove to you that I deserve your love. I just want another chance, Ray.”

Ray looked at his feet and mulled over what Joel had said. Sure, they were just drunken thoughts, but what if Joel actually meant what he was saying? Ray wasn’t sure if he could handle another heartbreak, not to mention if he would even wait around for Joel. He turned his gaze to the older man and immediately felt himself falter under the man’s sincere face. It took away any reason Ray had in his mind, in turn causing him to open his mouth before he could stop himself.

“Okay, Joel. Prove it to me and maybe we can try us again.” When Ray heard those words, he wondered if they were for Joel out of sympathy or what his heart truly wanted. 

Not wanting to think further into the situation, Ray gently tugged his hand back until Joel let go and headed out of the bedroom.

“Thank you,” Joel softly called after Ray.

Ray paused at the doorway, refusing to turn around as he curtly nodded his head and proceeded to race out of the apartment in a panic. 

What he had just done was against everything he ever knew. His mind screamed at him as he briskly walked down the street, though for the first time in a while, it was the lightest Ray ever felt. As for Joel, Ray didn’t know what he would be expecting, but soon found himself caving into the idea of getting back together, contemplating about the off-chance that Joel really would change for the better. 

After all, Joel was full of unexpected surprises, which was the reason Ray had initially fallen for him in the first place. Maybe this time, things would be different, or maybe even better. Of course, that would be revealed in due time and Ray ultimately decided in the end that all he could do was wait.

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by Joel drunkenly tweeting at 2am some odd nights ago. Please save him.


End file.
